by Helene St. James, USA TODAY Sports

by Helene St. James, USA TODAY Sports

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Like a good son, Niklas Kronwall sent his mom flowers on Mother's Day. One problem: He timed it right for the U.S. holiday, but not for back home in his native Sweden, where his mom Tove lives.

"We have a different Mother's Day back home," Kronwall said, laughing. "A few years ago when I first got over here, I sent her flowers on the U.S. Mother's Day, and she got a little confused. She didn't know what was going on. Then I found out we had a different date for it."

That's pretty much the same experience fellow countryman Henrik Zetterberg went through.

"She gets two Mother's Days," Zetterberg said, adding he'd call Ulla Zetterberg on Sunday. "Actually, the first time I got over here, I thought it was the same date, but I missed the Swedish one, so she was a little upset. But ever since that, she got two days, so she's been good."

Funnily enough, Kronwall and Zetterberg did not agree on when Mother's Day falls in Sweden. Kronwall said "it's later," while Zetterberg said, "I think it's earlier." According to Wikipedia, it's the last Sunday in May. Ulla Zetterberg might be holding a grudge.

Helene St. James covers the NHL for the Detroit Free Press, a Gannett affiliate. Follow Helene on Twitter @HeleneStJames.